BACKGROUND Health risk behaviours known to result in poorer outcomes in adulthood are generally established in late childhood and adolescence. These 'risky' behaviours include smoking, alcohol and illicit drug use and sexual risk taking. While the role of social capital in the establishment of health risk behaviours in young people has been explored, to date, no attempt has been made to consoli...

Pornography use among emerging adults in the USA has increased in recent decades, as has the acceptance of such consumption. While previous research has linked pornography use to both positive and negative outcomes in emerging adult populations, few studies have investigated how attitudes toward pornography may alter these associations, or how examining pornography use together with other sexua...

AIMS The aim of the study was to explore the reasons for alcohol misuse and other risk-taking behaviours in adolescence. METHODS Narrative review. RESULTS Vulnerable adolescents make suboptimal addictive-related choices in the period of initiation of alcohol use and gambling, which is also a period of cognitive and brain development, and in health behaviours. Hyperactive response to rewards...

In this study involving self-report questionnaire data from 955 tenth-grade students in three locations within Korea, we address the meanings of alcohol use and delinquency for Korean youth. Findings (a) supported a facilitative role for alcohol, but not delinquency, with respect to perceived peer social competence; (b) indicated negative associations of both alcohol use and delinquency with pa...

AIM To determine the constellation of lifestyle and demographic factors that are associated with poor mental health in an adolescent population. METHODS The Raine Study 14-year follow-up involved primary care givers and their adolescent children (n= 1860). The Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) was used to assess adolescent mental health. We examined diet, socio-demographic data, family functio...

PURPOSE To examine age differences between Nova Scotia women aged 15-19 and their male sexual partners, and to determine if those adolescents with older partners were more likely to have engaged in sexual risk-taking behaviours. METHODS A cross-sectional survey (response rate=91%) administered in May 2003 assessed the following sexual risk behaviours: (a) not using condom/hormonal contracepti...